bab81 wrote:isn't the rule that the head cant be the principal point of contact? if so, are we all really homer enough to say that Michalek shouldnt be suspended?

Michalek's hit was filthy...we would all be screaming bloody murder if that hit was on someone on our own team. I hope they punish Ovechkin adequately, but I have absolutely no issue with Z getting a game (even if he is a first-time offender)

I think Michalek should be suspended. Looks like he led with his elbow and drove the head of someone into the boards from behind. Since he's on the Pens, I definitely think he'll get suspended.

I think OV will get suspended too but likely not as many games as he should considering how many times he's done dangerous things like that. Two games tops for him, possibly only one if his being suspended would preclude him from playing in the AS game. They don't have the guts to force him out of the AS game due to a suspension.

Michalek hit is dirty, but yet again its a case of the offensive player putting himself into a vulnerable position. The game is played at an incredible rate of speed and decisions are split second, but this is textbook what they want to get out of the game. They want the defenders to play more conservatively and not play the body in situations like that. Flip of the coin though, in my opinion, is that they continue to allow defensemen to get pounded by the forecheck on dump-ins.

AO's was worse in my opinion because he charges, jumps, targets head. And he does it continuously. Remember 24/7 last year, the ref warned him about jumping during the classic. They need(ed) to start giving him a minor for that crap years ago and maybe he would change. Instead I'm sure he has been given warning after warning without learning a thing.

1 for MichalekAO will get as many as the caps have before the ASG cause they wont hold him out of it (if thats how it works)

I never like the argument that someone put himself in a vulnerable position and thus is fair game. It's one thing if a guy were to duck his head at the last second and that causes a bad hit that wouldn't have otherwise happened. But in Michalek's case, he had plenty of time to change his plan of hitting, and in fact he has his elbow extended out as he comes in to make contact. There's never excuse for that IMO.

This all is an example of how bad officiating creates these kinds of situations. If they had just penalized Ovechkin for his hit, it's possible Michalek's never happens. But since they let OV get away with it, maybe that causes Michalek to take matters into his own hands and put a dirty hit on one of their guys in revenge. Perfect example of why the referees, not the players, should be policing the game. Maybe if they had penalized Ovechkin for this hits a long time ago, he might have gotten the message by now and neither event would have happened yesterday.

pfim wrote:Michalek's comments that he was angry and it could have led to his hit on Hendricks aren't going to help him, and pretty much invalidate any argument that Hendricks is somehow at fault, imo.

Yea, he admitted it was a bad and illegal hit. I think the only case he could really make is if that hit was the direct reason because he was hit by AO and not penalized.

Henry Hank wrote:I never like the argument that someone put himself in a vulnerable position and thus is fair game. It's one thing if a guy were to duck his head at the last second and that causes a bad hit that wouldn't have otherwise happened. But in Michalek's case, he had plenty of time to change his plan of hitting, and in fact he has his elbow extended out as he comes in to make contact. There's never excuse for that IMO.

This all is an example of how bad officiating creates these kinds of situations. If they had just penalized Ovechkin for his hit, it's possible Michalek's never happens. But since they let OV get away with it, maybe that causes Michalek to take matters into his own hands and put a dirty hit on one of their guys in revenge. Perfect example of why the referees, not the players, should be policing the game. Maybe if they had penalized Ovechkin for this hits a long time ago, he might have gotten the message by now and neither event would have happened yesterday.

I've always likened that "player did something stupid that got himself hurt" argument to the "but you stopped at a yellow light and it was your fault I rear ended you" argument.

I do not believe Ovenchiken can be considered a repeat offendor. He was last suspended in March of 2010. Once 18 months passes and the player has no incidents of fines or suspension he shall be treated as a first time offendor. I think both players deserve 1-2 games, and call it a day.

Jamie wrote:I do not believe Ovenchiken can be considered a repeat offendor. He was last suspended in March of 2010. Once 18 months passes and the player has no incidents of fines or suspension he shall be treated as a first time offendor. I think both players deserve 1-2 games, and call it a day.

That just matters in terms of the pay he would lose. Something about losing pay based on games rather than days. I don't really understand it. But from what I understand, Ovechkin will still be considered a repeat offender in terms of how that factors into a potential suspension from yesterday's hit.